CDC Cartel Damage Claims

Presentation

The Cartel Damage Claims was established in 2002 with the purpose of offering victims of illegal cartels an effective method of obtaining compensation. Having launched several cases with claims totalling significantly more than €1 billion, CDC is the frontrunner of private antitrust enforcement in Europe.

CDC combines specific expertise in economics, civil and competition law, and IT in order to provide victims of cartels with innovative and robust solutions in assessing and claiming compensation. CDC is specialised in the analysis, quantification and enforcement of damage claims resulting from infringements of European and national competition law. CDC analyses the damaging effects of anticompetitive behaviour on the basis of market-wide transaction data, typically from a multitude of cartel victims. In CDC’s current cases, namely trucks, sugar, cement, hydrogen peroxide, sodium chlorate and paraffin wax, CDC enforces damage claims in its own name and on its own account against cartel members on a Europe-wide basis.

Services

In addition, in numerous cases CDC acts as ‘back office’ consultant to companies seeking independent and comprehensive solutions with cartel members, namely in cases of on-going business relationships. CDC’s approach does not just effectively outsource the litigation process but results in considerable synergies in the complex analysis of cartel-related damages. The collection of data from a multitude of victims allows a deeper and more accurate understanding of the effect of the cartel and furnishes a more solid basis for damage estimation. Additionally, significant procedural efficiencies for all sides result regarding the enforcement of corresponding claims in and out-of-court.

CDC also works with external partners ensuring that every aspect of a case is managed most effectively.